


Two-Way Street, Pt. 2

by Kivan



Series: From the Fires [14]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Batman Beyond, DCU (Comics), Teen Titans (Comics), Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M, Family, Gen, M/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Teen Titans - Freeform, justice league - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-02
Updated: 2015-10-02
Packaged: 2018-04-24 09:11:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4913626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kivan/pseuds/Kivan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>“That’s nice,” Cassie says, not really sure if he wants her to say anything.</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Two-Way Street, Pt. 2

“There’s a charity gala, in two weeks, at the new Wayne building,” Damian announces suddenly, and Cassie had to take a minute to process what he’s just said. It’s a side note compared to how he keeps flipping the very sharp and very shiny silver butterfly knife in his hand, even as his eyes are trained on Tim’s heart monitor.

“Yeah,” she asks, not really sure why he’s said it.

“Father plans to invite the Justice League,” he tells her in the same blank voice. She can hear how tired he is, just by his voice. It had been a long day, even though Tim had just slept through the entire thing.

Damian hadn’t. He hadn’t even changed out of his uniform. At this point, Cassie was still in the room out of compassion- it had nothing to do with necessity. Tim would wake up soon, but Damian looked like he’s been gutted regardless.

“It’s to help sponsor the rebuilding of the hospital,” he continues, only halfway seeming to even be processing what he’s saying. “The Chairman of the Hospital Board has been refusing aid from the company. Which is _absurd_. But he did agree to take in half of the Gala’s proceeds. The other half will be going to a handful of shelters in mid-town.”

“That’s nice,” Cassie says, not really sure if he wants her to say anything.

Damian nods, slowly. The butterfly is still flipping in his hand and Cassie almost can’t stop watching it. “I know he-” Damian begins, but then stops, his jaw rolling and his shaking barely. He swallows. “It was a long year,” he finally settles on.

Cassie nods, knowing that now she shouldn’t say anything. She’d seen some of the reports that had come out of Gotham since the fence had come down. The list of missing people, the death count that was sickening.

“Drake- _Tim_ ,” he starts again, “Has been having trouble, reconnecting.”

Cassie scoffs, and looks at his face finally. The knife stops when her eyes find his too-sharp blue ones looking right back at her. “He’s a stone wall compared to who he was when he went in.”

Damian nods, slowly still. “I didn’t have friends outside, when the lock down started,” Damian allows, and Cassie nods to acknowledge it. His eyes leave her’s and Cassie breaths a little easier. “All I had was inside that wall,” he adds, “So I can’t really help him when it comes to reconfiguring his life here.”

“But you want to,” she concludes. Damian hums. But she can see it in his entire posture, that _yes, yes he does_. “How long,” she asks now, and Damian looks back at her, obviously not understanding. She almost wants to laugh. “How long have you two been,” she trails off, letting him finish the sentence on his own.

Damian only tilts his head, looking at her differently now. “Nineteen months,” he answers.

The wall had been down for nearly ten months now, Cassie realizes, nodding slowly.

“How long have you known,” he asks next.

Cassie smirks. “When you were here, and you turned on that news story about the shelter and upset Batgirl,” she laughs, “When Tim told you to apologize you looked like a kicked puppy.”

Damian pouts at her wording, and rolls his eyes. “That woman has _so many_ emotions.”

Cassie laughs again, “Most do.” Damian scoffs again, but doesn’t retort. “What did you have in mind for the whole reconnecting idea?”

Damian looks at her again, once again subdued by the change in conversation, “I’m sure Father would agree to extend his invite to the Titans, alongside the Justice League.”

Cassie smiles, “For the Gala.”

“For Gotham,” he corrects, and suddenly it sinks in.

“He’s lifting his meta ban?”

“ _I’m_ lifting his meta ban,” Damian answers her, his eyes once again turning to Tim’s heart monitor. “When the fence went up, if any member of the Justice League had been inside, he probably wouldn’t spend half of his days in that wheelchair.”

“I thought the surgery worked,” Cassie asks.

She could remember when Diana had found out about Bane’s attack, and Batman’s severed spine. When the doctors inside the fence put him back together as well as they could, it still wasn’t enough- there had been some damage that was irreparable.

“He can walk, but after extended periods, his legs go numb without the aid of an exospine that Wayne Enterprises just recently patented.”

“Funny timing,” Cassie accuses.

Damian only hums again, this time though, he’s grinning. “That was Drake,” he answers, practically _beaming_ , “He spent nearly a month on it.”

“He’s pretty brilliant,” Cassie agrees. Damian only nods to agree again. “So you’re welcoming us into Gotham,” she asks this time.

Damian turns to look at her this time, his shoulders and feet completely turning toward her, his face open and honest in a way that she’s never seen before. “He thinks of you as his second family, and he’s my family,” Damian almost smiles, the ends of his lips turning up in a small curve, “And there is strength in family.”

Cassie grins, “That speech needs a little work.”

Damian grins back, “I usually leave the speeches to my sisters.”

“Both of them,” Cassie asks, teasing.

Damian smirks, his smile turning lopsided, “All three, actually.”


End file.
